ArticlePLoS neglected tropical diseases2013
Prospective evaluation of three rapid diagnostic tests for diagnosis of human leptospirosis.
Article in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 52 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
52 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 92 citations in OpenAlex.
- Accuracy of rapid lateral flow immunoassays for human leptospirosis diagnosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2024Pooled it
- Rapid diagnostic test (Leptocheck-WB) for detection of acute leptospirosis: a meta-analysis of diagnostic accuracy.European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology · 2022Pooled it
- Diagnostic accuracy of leptospirosis whole-cell lateral flow assays: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Clinical microbiology and infection : the official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases · 2019Pooled it
- Early diagnosis and treatment of leptospirosis: Optimizing clinical outcomes.The Journal of infection · 2026Review
- Evaluating the diagnostic accuracy of clinical judgement and rapid tests for leptospirosis in the Philippines: implications for public health management.Infectious diseases of poverty · 2026Article
- Laboratory Diagnosis of Leptospirosis.Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.) · 2026Review
- Cost-effectiveness analysis of point-of-care tests for causes of non-malarial febrile illnesses in low-resource settings: a case study from Lao PDR.BMJ public health · 2026Article
- In-House IgM Dot-Blot Assay for Serodiagnosis of Human Leptospirosis: Development, Standardisation, and Performance Evaluation.Microorganisms · 2025Article
- Accuracy of four rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for human leptospirosis diagnosis in Indonesia.Microbiology spectrum · 2025Article
- Leptospirosis.Nature reviews. Disease primers · 2025Review
- Increased incidence of human leptospirosis and the effect of temperature and precipitation, the Netherlands, 2005 to 2023.Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin · 2025Article
- Detection and Determinants ofPublic health challenges · 2025Article
- Production of recombinant electron transfer flavoprotein beta subunit protein and its application in a lateral flow assay for early diagnosis of leptospirosis.Medical microbiology and immunology · 2025Article
- Serological Survey ofPathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Leptospirosis: a clinical and diagnostic challenge.BMJ case reports · 2024Article
- Diagnostic accuracy of DPP Fever Panel II Asia tests for tropical fever diagnosis.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2024Article
- A clinical pilot study for the detection of sphingomyelinase in leptospirosis patient's urine at tertiary care hospital.Heliyon · 2023Article
- Leptospira interrogans insoluble fraction as a potential antigen source for lateral flow immunochromatography.Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz · 2023Article
- Evaluating immunochromatographic test kits for diagnosis of acute human leptospirosis: A systematic review.Heliyon · 2022Review
- Role of Diagnostics in Epidemiology, Management, Surveillance, and Control of Leptospirosis.Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDiagnosis of leptospirosis by the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) or by culture is confined to specialized laboratories. Although ELISA techniques are more common, they still require laboratory facilities. Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) can be used for easy point-of-care diagnosis. This study aims to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the RDTs LeptoTek Dri Dot, LeptoTek Lateral Flow, and Leptocheck-WB, prospectively. METHODOLOGY: During 2001 to 2012, one or two of the RDTs at the same time have been applied prior to routine diagnostics (MAT, ELISA and culture) on serum specimens from participants sent in for leptospirosis diagnosis. The case definition was based on MAT, ELISA and culture results. Participants not fulfilling the case definition were considered not to have leptospirosis. The diagnostic accuracy was determined based on the 1(st) submitted sample and paired samples, either in an overall analysis or stratified according to days post onset of illness.
resultsThe overall sensitivity and specificity for the LeptoTek Dri Dot was 75% respectively 96%, for the LeptoTek Lateral Flow 78% respectively 95%, and for the Leptocheck-WB 78% respectively 98%. Based on the 1(st) submitted sample the sensitivity was low (51% for LeptoTek Dri Dot, 69% for LeptoTek Lateral Flow, and 55% for Leptocheck-WB), but substantially increased when the results of paired samples were combined, although accompanied by a lower specificity (82% respectively 91% for LeptoTek Dri Dot, 86% respectively 84% for LeptoTek Lateral Flow, and 80% respectively 93% for Leptocheck-WB).
conclusionsAll three tests present antibody tests contributing to the diagnosis of leptospirosis, thus supporting clinical suspicion and contributing to awareness. Since the overall sensitivity of the tested RDTs did not exceed 80%, one should be cautious to rely only on an RDT result, and confirmation by reference tests is strongly recommended.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.